Xenomorph Redemption
by Amalthea2
Summary: Never underestimate the bond between a mother and child. Instinct is the most powerful force in the universe, more powerful than even kinship or love. Survival makes us all the same, and deep down, nobody is above hatred.
1. It was Snowing Again

It was snowing again. Calley and her friends couldn't believe it. It was mid March, and it was snowing. As she gazed out the window during math class, she watched the nasty snow, and out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw movement. Probably just another starving squirrel, she thought, deciding to start paying attention.  
  
It had come during the night. Silent and unseen, the beast and its baby had fallen to the roof. She held it close, hungry and tired, she made her way across the roof to an opening, and slid into the building with her tiny offspring. Into the ducts, the best hiding place, they laid down. The mother was starving, and would not hold out, but just before she fell unconscious, somebody came.  
  
He walked unknowingly beneath the creatures. He was tired and underpaid, and the duct needed repair, so he whistled to himself as he inspected the tear. A strange breathing he heard, high up in the shaft, and as he looked up to explore it, she lunged.  
  
Ravenously she tore at the carcass, leaving only blood and bone. Sensing threat, she fled to the air duct, and scooped up her young. Feeling stronger, they made their way deeper into the labyrinth of metalwork.  
  
The night was going smoothly for the math teacher, but as he returned from the copy machine, he heard a queer noise drifting from his room. He was too far away to accurately identify, so he moved in faster. The light was on, and the janitor's cart sat outside his door, so he assumed the slurping noise was a mop on the floor. He was surprised, however, when as he closed in and saw the mop upright on the cart, and the water bucket too, and a clattering sound was growing fainter as he neared.  
  
Taken aback, but still casual, he slowly opened his door, and entered. What he saw was so shocking, he tripped over a desk, and spilled calculators and paper all over the floor, though they seemed to fall in slow motion, as he registered the scene...  
  
His breathing went erratic, his pulse unstoppable, though trying his very best to stay calm. He crawled to the phone, and summoned the principle. As he sat on the floor, holding himself upright, forcing himself to breath, the rapid footsteps of the principal calmed him slightly. As the man stepped in the door, and the stench of death hit him, he was sick. Once he settled his stomach, they both ran from the room and headed down to the teachers lounge to collect their thoughts.  
  
Such a terrible, unexplainable accident, and so many consequences. School could not be cancelled, no one could know. The teacher opposed, but the principal insisted all of it be kept under wraps. The mess was cleaned thoroughly, and the evidence was covered. To them, it never happened, though the teacher felt the most powerful of regrets as he lied to all of his loving students the next day, acting completely normal. But every time he glanced to the spot in the corner by the window, he held his breath thinking of the sick horror he was supposed to have forgotten.  
  
While the rest of the school lay tense, and in denial, the mother and child slept. She dreamed of their home, and the task that lay ahead. She knew they had to survive, and in order to live, they had to kill. As she slept, bells rang, and students talked, and life was going on beneath her, though she knew she could not take it. Only a solitary prey, she knew, or else they would be discovered. No more messes, she cringed, how much more careful they must be.  
  
As the final bell rang, and the kids ran to their buses, one particularly annoying student strayed into the stairwell, and commenced in spraying shaving cream all over the steps. He was not the brightest bulb in the box, though he was shaped very similar to one. Round, almost pig like, with an attitude to match. He swore as the can rolled down the stairs, due to his clumsy actions, and ran to stop the metallic clanging. As slow as he was, he sometimes knew better than to get caught. But he had this, knack, for being in the wrong place, at the wrong time...  
  
She was awakened by the loud sound of metal against stair, and gazed downward through a hole in the ceiling. A plump boy was flailing down the stairwell, and she knew this was her chance. Silently, cautiously, she crept into the duct, and stood just above the grate. She carefully pulled it out of place, and positioned herself just above the boy. Down she fell, shoving his bulk against the floor, hissing menacingly. Just right, had she jumped, and she now had him pinned perfectly with his back to the ground, and her claws in his flesh. He cried out, but it was too late. She dragged him to the duct opening, and shoved him through, pulling the grate back into place with her tail, with nobody to hear his sobbing...  
  
A pipe had malfunctioned, causing the pool to flood into the hallway. The water trickled past lockers, under the doors to the stairwell, and flushed the blood outside onto the grass. A very faint stain remained, but nobody noticed, and yet another piece of evidence faded away.  
  
The math teacher drove home, a little depressed. No further incidents had occurred, but he could not help feeling strange. Seeing human remains does something to a person, but having no explanation is far worse. It stung at his mind, and he decided to do proofs to take his mind off it for the evening.  
  
That night, the animal watched her prisoner carefully. A while after his capture, she had attached her baby to him, like a leech on a fish, and kept a close eye on its development. This was her only chance, for her fertility had been lost with the birth of this child, and there would be no second opportunity. It had to be perfect, they had to survive, it was the way of her people. Instinct drove her ragged, but the adrenaline kept her going. As her young one had its first shedding, she felt immense relief. The heat left her, and she sensed her hunger once again. Alert, she stalked through the pipes in search of another victim...  
  
The English teacher sighed as she read the subs report from the day before. She knew her students did not act as the large woman had described, but she could not help but wonder. They had seemed oddly quiet today, she had felt it with her mothers instinct, and as she though of this the baby inside her rolled over. She adjusted her position in the chair, and started grading tests.  
  
The noise had been very faint at first, but she had immediately perked up. Her pregnancy made her very in tune with her self and surroundings, almost like a psychic awareness that formed when carry another being. It got louder, then stopped, as though something was moving towards her, above her...  
  
Mother beast stopper and sniffed, testing the air around her. Another force was near, she could sense it, but something was wrong. She could not tell what, but something was signaling to her that things were strange. She positioned herself very carefully above the grate, peering into the room where the weird vibes were being emitted. Her stomach growled, and her need for energy made her open the grate.  
  
The English teacher went rigid with fear. Whatever had made the noises was now above her, very close, and she watched in terror as the grate on the ceiling began to move. She tried to scream, but couldn't, as the most horrifying beast emerged from the duct, and began to crawl toward her... 


	2. Time Stood Still

Time stood still. The energy between the two was enormous, but undetectable by anyone who has never bore children. Maternal bonds are perhaps the strongest force in the universe, more powerful even than gravity between lovers, or energy released during fusion.  
  
They watched each other, both terrified at the others willpower. The beast could sense the rising defensive energy being put up by the human. She could feel the child flinching within the womb, but not in fear. It was in devotion that the power was drawn, and as the baby invested all of its trust within its mom, the mom poured all of her being into protecting the little one.  
  
The animal backed up, and a cool understanding passed between them. Like a bolt of static electricity being released, the tension fell. The mother nodded in respect to the teacher, and crawled slowly back into the narrow duct. She knew she would find no food there, and went off in further pursuit.  
  
The teacher exhaled, and in that breath was released a fear like no other, the fear for an offspring. As menacing, and terrifying as the monster had been, something had passed between them, an unsaid message. She suddenly understood why the beast, obviously built for killing, had not attacked. Something within the writing instructor had clicked as the beast receded. She was not hunting only for herself, she had a purpose, her baby. As the intense maternal instincts faded, she became aware of the present once more.  
  
The encounter had been supernatural, she knew, there was no way the creature was native, not just by its atrocious looks. It was though it had told her in thought, and this comforted her a little. The further thought occurred; who and how many victims had come before her? As she entered her car, and fastened the belt, it hit her. Somebody else knew, but who would keep such a dangerous secret? What if there was more than one child, or parent? What if the monsters attacked the children? Come to think of it, there had been some hushed rumors about a boy's absence. The teacher's heart skipped a beat. "Oh my God..." She ran from the car, all the way to the principal's office...  
  
The principal had completely forgotten already, though lord knows how somebody can just recover from seeing human entrails on a math classroom floor. The English teacher burst in, panting and heaving. He got up to help her, but she cast him a warning glance and he stepped back. "What the hell is going on!" she breathed in a threat. "Mrs. --------, are you alright? Here, let me help you..." "Keep your distance! You knew the whole time, you murderer!" "What on earth is the matter with you! Those are serious acusations, and I don't have the foggiest idea what you are raving about!" The principal retorted rudely. "That, that thing! That monster! I saw it, and whatever it is, I want the truth! Now! Tell me who its killed!" "I'm so sorry, I think the stress from your pregnancy has gotten to you, you should take tomorrow off to cool down." "You liar! Why do you hide it! We have got to close the school and kill that, that creature that killed one of my students!" At this the principal stopped arguing, and looked awful concerned. He honestly did not know anything about a 'creature', but it could be an explanation for the bloody carcass...  
  
No, it was just inconceivable. There was no way any creature could be within the school, except for the French teachers dog, who was allowed to visit on occasion. But a 'monster'? The woman had to be crazy, first of all, there is no such thing. And it was that ignorant misconception that would eventually get him into deep trouble, and eventually came a lot sooner than anyone expected.  
  
The mother had left the teacher bewildered, and an overwhelming sense of respect and admiration had settled over her. It was at this point that the creature knew, she could not attack one of her own, under any circumstances. The human was of course, not one of her own in the sense of family or species, but the motherly connection made them the same, regardless of their outsides. The mom pondered this instinct as she came above her next prey, and felt the same wave of power wash over. The human mother was in the same room, and was apparently fighting the male human who was the only other life form in the room.  
  
She knew better than to attack and be witnessed, but the encounter before had softened her into trusting the mother human. The emotions had just folded into place, and there was now an aura kinship between them. She decided to risk it.  
  
Once again, she lifted the grate, but this time she only curled her tail out. She used her keen sense, and the teacher watched in horror and fascination, as the creature plunged its tail through the principals back, and proceeded to lift it up into the ceiling. The teacher fell backwards, appalled and amazed.  
  
As a mother, she was immediately stunned by witnessing the loss of life, but at the same time in awe she watched the incredible hunter, who always seemed to be one step ahead. She heard the creature and body moving through the vents, and saw a few stray drops of blood drip from the grate into the pool on the floor...  
  
The creature dragged her prize into the nest room, arriving in time to see the beginning of the boy's convulsions. He squealed and grunted, though she knew he had died a long time ago, the body was alive with writhing. The squirming came to a disturbing climax, when a snake-like miniature of herself emerged from the chest in a spurt of blood. She made a joyous screech, and dragged the fresh kill over to her new baby. They feasted, and with each passing moment she felt more and more proud and ready for the next challenge. 


	3. Something must be Done

The teacher knew that something had to be done to stop the killing, though she did not yet know the extent of the damage.  
  
Mother and daughter made their way through the pipes, all the way to the school library. They came out above the old stairs that used to lead up to the second floor, but had to be removed a few years ago. It was now very dark outside, and the librarian was finishing up a presentation in the Imac lab, and her computer cast an eerie blue glow out into the hall.  
  
The beast grasped her slender child gently, for it had no limbs with which to climb on its own. They silently slinked through the door to the lab, but the daughter got a little anxious and fell out of her mothers loving arms, down behind a computer desk. The librarian looked up. The mother was concerned, but watched intently as her young huntress coiled up on its tail, and prepared to spring. The librarian was now nervous, and glanced to the ceiling behind her, but there was nothing there. She shrugged and turned back to the screen, and was met with a shrill war cry. The baby lunged at the woman's throat, crushing her jugular with its powerful teeth. Blood spewed from her neck, and caused the computer to short circuit as it coated the keyboard. Sparks flew everywhere, throwing bursts of orange light across the room...  
  
The next morning, at about 7:30, the English teacher walked down the hard stairs to the first floor, which was becoming more and more difficult as her pregnancy wore on. She got down to the science hall, and went to the room of the science teacher who was on her team. He was a tall guy, sporty looking, and was currently working on grading tests.  
  
They exchanged good mornings, and how are you doings, and the tone was light. But there were questions, questions that needed answering, and the sooner the better. She described the creature as well as she could, and the science teachers eyes grew wide with curiosity, and suspicion. As a few of the pieces started to fall into place, it was becoming even more obvious that the situation was dire. Something had to be done, but what? What could a science and English teacher do, though the chances had gotten substancially better with their alliance. Somebody else knew something. The principal had been a witness, but he had been silenced. They did not want to raise an alarm, for the animals behavior was wild and unpredictable, and even if the school was evacuated, it would follow them. They had no way to kill it, and it didn't seem the tamable sort, so the only other option was...to reason with it.  
  
The science guy got right into research, and the English worked slowly, descretely, inching her way towards a lead among the teachers. No one had and clues, but they all seemed to have heard every spin on the rumors that were floating around. She knew there was not going to be any hard evidence if she panned out so far, so she decided to narrow her questioning down to the others on her team. Around lunchtime, she visited the history teacher, and had a nice talk but no leads. She now had only one other to ask, the math teacher. The door was cracked open, and she could see that he was using his planning time to schedule homework. She took a deep breath, and went ahead. Starting off slow, they chatted about the cruddy weather (it was still snowing), and the lesson plans, and the cafeteria food. When she moved to the topic of students, she sensed a bit of worry, even regret in his eyes. A woman's sixth sense never lies. Slowly it became clear, though they fumbled with the information, not wanting to let too much out, they finally let loose. The math teacher now understood the killing in his room, and the English now knew where it started. So one more on the team, one more puzzle piece...  
  
Last night had been risky, but the child performed very well. Mom knew it was luck, but it didn't matter now. They were still hungry. She knew that they must work together to get more energy. She also knew, that because they worked together, the two of them could take on more than one. A small group passed beneath them. Showtime.  
  
There were five girls, one guy, and one other guy who wasn't actually in the group. He was actually their most hated enemy, but the girls new it wasn't the right time to pounce just yet. The boy in the middle really just wanted everyone to get along, because he hated to see them all so angry, even though it was partly his own fault. Though the five girls were really tight, they seemed like complete opposites. The leader was golden blonde, with a fiery attitude that did not put up with the dark haired boys crap, and was always there when the group needed direction. The next up was a dark haired girl, who hated the boy in a sadly special way, for she had made the mistake of going out with him, though it didn't seem so bad in the beginning, her buds were there for her now. Beside her was a shorter, thinner girl with muscles like rocks, and wicked speed. A brunette dancer was on the farther side of the posse, and she always had their backs covered when things got tricky. The last, and most distant one, was a lanky girl with dirty blonde hair down to her waist, and unmatched skill with a bow. They all really wished she had one with her, the air was tense, but it could be worse...  
  
They headed down the hall, took a left past the art room, and a right to the stairwell. The boy said something that perhaps he really shouldn't have, for the consequences would arrive sooner than he ever expected...  
  
Lightening fast, the little one shot out and got the light haired boy in the leg. He fell over in pain, and tried to fight back. The girls bunched up in a defensive stance, and the dark haired boy was out in the open. They watched in horror as the mother crawled onto the scene, all the while the baby was quite enjoying teething on the skinny leg, and would not be shook loose. Mom glanced around, and naturally found it much easier to target the loner. But something stopped her. She heard a small noise, and whirled around to see her offspring missing. She was about to panic, but a little ways from the bleeding boy was a skin...  
  
Nobody had paid attention to the young ones second molt, and now it was not quite as young. Adult form, the most dangerous of all, and with a special mutation inheirited from her mother, she was born pregnant. These new hormones began to take hold, as she positioned herself to the right of her proud mother, closing in on the lone boy. He tried to fun for the door, but she caught him up against the wall, and with a fluid thrust, she plunged her sharp egg-laying tube right into the squealing boys diaphragm. The girls gasped in shock as a lump of something passed through the tube into his body, somewhat like watching a snake swallow an egg, seeing the lump pass within the leathery skin.  
  
The new queen, now satisfied, retracted the tube, and grabbed up the boy as he slumped off the wall. Also contented, the mother marched up the wall to the vent, but looking down at the light haired one, she decided to take his other leg along as a snack. She ripped it clear off, sending a spray of fresh blood over the now dried layer on the cold floor. He screamed in agony, and it was then that the girls realized his critical state.  
  
They clustered around him as the malicious beasts left, and as they held up his head, he let out his last breath, saying, "See you later guys." His whole body, or what was left of it, went limp and cold. They were all to shocked to do anything but cry. It wasn't so much that they were sad, or scared for the death and the kidnapping, but the blood, and the closeness of it all chilled them.  
  
"We have got to get out of here, and tell somebody!" the blonde announced as she started for the doors. "What about ----, he might still be alive! We cannot just leave him to those nasty monsters!" "Oh yes we can." "And will. There is no way in hell I'm going up in some dark air duct, let alone go looking for death!" "We can go get a flashlight!" the brunette sobbed. The others would be crying like babys, but the incident had yet to sink in. None of them really understood the magnitude of the conspiracy they had just stumbled into...  
  
About an hour later, they were all sitting in the counselors office. The woman was just about to call the cops, their parents, and make an announcement that school must be let out early, when the English teacher came in right in time. "There is no need to panic, please let me handle this." 


	4. Excuse Me

"Excuse me, but we have a situation here. We are handling it right now, and no offense, but we would work more effectively without your distraction..." "I don't think you heard me, I said I will handle it. Do nothing." The teacher said bluntly. She motioned the girls to come with her. As they walked quickly down the hall, they could hear the counselor screaming after them. Curiously, her ranting was stopped by a phone call in her office...  
  
As they got to her room, the teacher locked the door behind them. The girls looked a bit concerned, but after what they had seen not much else in the world could faze them. They described the horrific scene, the monsters, everything. The English teacher took a minute to soak it all in, then nodded to herself and picked up the phone.  
  
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and in came the others from their team. The science was stunned, the history took a while to catch up, for this was the first she had heard about it beyond rumors, and the math teacher looked sadly out the window. They asked many questions, got a few answers, pondered a couple theories, and debated possible responses.  
  
While they were discussing, the counselor, armed with news from the health teacher that the gym teacher was missing, she made an announcement. All the students were to be rounded up and sent to the gym. They were currently working on evacuating the sixth graders, but unknown to the counselor, the English teachers team had secretly sent their students directly home on a couple of city busses. Everyone had been in such a panic, the students calmly left unnoticed.  
  
So, knowing their students were now safe outside the school, the team continued their session. It was decided a few minutes later, that there had to be some way to communicate with the beast. The science teacher had done an enormous amount of research, and came to the conclusion that the animals were attracted, and possibly influenced, by female energy. He had studied what little observations they had taken of their habits very carefully, and discovered a couple key points. Both of the creatures were female, so in order to reproduce, they must have been born pregnant. They refused to attack the English teacher, because of what she described as a mutual respect. Though the group of girls was standing right in front of the hungry animals, they chose to take the boys instead. The only known female killings were the gym teacher and librarian, and though they had no proof or explanation, the teacher suspected it was because they had been completely alone. The English teacher had her baby, and the girls had each other, which meant their combined auras could very well have affected the beast. So, in theory, a group of girls should be able to safely confront the strange life forms.  
  
Unfortunately, there were more drawbacks than advantages. They had no idea where the creatures were, whom else they might have eaten, and if they had the capability to reproduce, couldn't the problem be even bigger than they thought? So many risks, so much to lose. Luckily, the choice was made easier when the girls volunteered. They said they would try to communicate with the beasts, to observe and then leave. According to the theory, they should be safe, and with the rest of the school in an uproar, they could go anywhere they needed. A hit and run experiment.  
  
They geared up with flashlights and kneepads, for they also had noticed the animals always came out of the ducts, and therefore must be hiding somewhere in the ceiling. They were also guessing that the critters preferred the dark, since it was usually dim where it pounced. Armed with their hypothesis, too set to go back now, they were boosted up into the ducts, and started to crawl...  
  
Their collection of corpses was steadily growing. It was getting warmer, not by much, but the snow outside was beginning to transform into spring rains. Like the boy before, the newest victim was pinned to the wall with an organic substance secreted by the new queen. Unlike the former, this one was still alive. The new queen worked away at coating the walls of their chamber with the life form found on their home planet, the familiar décor. It was becoming more and more homey in the dank room above the stairwell. Once she had completed the wall, she turned back to her victim.  
  
He was in agony. Beads of sweat rolled down his tragic face, but he refused to open his eyes, so afraid of the monsters lurking in the dark before him. She sensed his fear, which was a very dangerous thing for the boy to show at this point. She stretched her egg tube out, and positioned herself above the whimpering boy. Again, she jammed the tube into the boy, and again he screamed in terror. Again, and again, implanting her seeds. There were now four children within him. He slumped against his organic bindings, his will to live long past. He lay in the dark, with the terrible creature, awaiting his death and release from torture, but it would not come for a while...  
  
The girls were a bit lost, but long from giving up. It was cramped and definitely uncomfortable, but they wiggled their way through the pipes. The longhaired one, whose name was Calley, led the way, while the brave blonde brought up the rear. As they turned a corner, a stench splashed against them like the heat emitted by a candles flame, the outer warmth. It washed over them, hung over them, like a cloud of poison. It was the smell of rotting blood, the pain of death wafted through the dense air. They gagged, but the blonde pushed them on from behind, and Calley didn't let up. They tried to go faster, but the cloud stung their lungs, and they found themselves getting lightheaded.  
  
They slowed up a bit, and though the stench of blood made them sick, it also made them pulse with adrenaline. The energy of the kill drove them forward, though they were well aware of the terror and danger that lay beyond that next corner... The mother returned with the band teacher in her claws, and her daughter welcomed her warmly. They knew it was only the beginning of their colony, but they had a strong start. As they tore into the human, they realized something was wrong. The younger reared up, confused by an approaching energy...  
  
Calley leapt from the pipe out onto the floor, rolling a couple times before standing. The muscular one followed tightly, and the others fell into stance behind them. It was a million times worse than anyone could have expected, as they scanned the room. Two of them, two vile, hideous animals with blood dripping from their mouths stood in the center. Towards the far wall, they saw two bodies stuck upright with the organic substance; one was a fat boy with a gaping hole in his chest, the other...  
  
Was the dark haired boy, still alive. They could see his labored breathing. For the second instance that week, time stood still. Neither party would make a move, no one would dare. The girls bunched up, and the creatures exchanged unsure looks. Finally, the mother let out a sharp screech, followed by a long, low tone, and what sounded like a hiccup. The girls stepped back, uncertain of how to respond. They could feel the animal's low pulse, the vibration rippled through them like electric waves. Heartbeats mingled, breathing slurred, and the life forces were intertwined. Calley fell into a dream-like state, and the others were pulled out of the ebb of energy. They held her upright, trying to awaken her, but to no avail. She was under a deep trance, but before they could help, something happened...  
  
She made a sound, like an alien language, and it went something like this; "Mahrhi tshu quai hlei tua..." At this the beasts looked very puzzled, looked to each other, exchanging low growls. The younger now stepped forward, making a baritone chirp, a lizard-like cough, and a slurping noise. The girls were very freaked out at this point, and when Calley responded again they were almost to their limit. "Rahkshi guaey whagh jchrai."  
  
The chatter was rudely interrupted, when the boy on the wall began to shake violently, and four new snake-like creatures burst from his inside, and he let out a blood-curdling scream.... 


	5. He Was In Agony

He was in agony. The four eggs that had been incubating in his frail body now sprung forth through his chest. All at once, he was torn apart from the inside out. The snake-like creatures thrust out of his rib cage, blood and flesh sprayed everywhere, but sadly for the dying boy, that was not the end. He was still alive in freakish misery, as the beasts blinked in the darkness, and then slowly turned back to him. He screamed, blood bubbling up in his throat, strangling him. He began to fade as the spawn started to teeth on what shreds were left of his carcass...  
  
The girls could not have been more horrified. A couple hurled, others watched on in terror, and the last was still im a trance in their arms. His throat filling with crimson, the boy let out a hoarse plea, "Kill me." But alas, there was nothing they could do to ease his passing. Calley coughed harshly, and bolted up out of their trembling arms, whirling onto her feet in a defensive stance, but only to be pushed aback as she surveyed the gruesome spectacle. She vomited, and as the others helped her up the eldest of the monsters let out a screech, and dove into the next pipe. Her daughter scooped up her newborns, and darted after her, leaving the girls dazed and bewildered.  
  
While the girls led the expedition into the creature's nest, the remaining principal and her crew of counselors ran frantically about, trying to organize the students. They had massed in the gym, as was protocol for a level three emergency, but many students were unaccounted for. Half of the eighth grade, as well as a handful from the others. It was pandemonium in the gym, but it was about to get substantially worse.  
  
A group of boys had stayed behind when their team had secretly evacuated, and now joined their 'buddies' in the sixth grade hallway, the designated meeting place. They weren't exactly the pick of the litter, in fact the were downright slow. They had gathered when the uproar started, and now sat in the silent hall playing with their stupid little monster cards. There were a bunch of them, a particularly large one started to quarrel with one of the smaller, creepier ones. They all got entangled in the ruckus, and the dumb little playing cards with the animated 'monsters' on them were scattered across the floor. Unknown to the geeks, a pack of real monsters was making their way to that very spot, at that very moment...  
  
Clanging through the ducts, the entire family pushed at top speed to the isolated energy source. As they came up above them, something unexpected, but not entirely bad, chanced upon them. The metal creaked beneath them, and was stretched to its limit just a few feet from the unsuspecting idiots. Down they crashed, and as the boys screeched and scrambled, they began to pick them off. The babies got a little overexcited, and used their powerful jumping ability to lunge and rip chunks out of the screaming kids. Blood drizzled all over the filthy floor as flesh was torn here and there, making a scarlet design over the cheap tile. They parents were slightly more patient, and made more precise and effective assaults. The grandmother circled around the fat boy, as he screamed and squeaked in his middle school, canary boy pitch. Such an awful thing to listen to, really, so she mad a swift plunge into his jiggling stomach with her razor claws. The young mom used her tube to implant more beast children in the helpless fools, while the grandma piled up the bodies for the family meal. The design on the floor melted away with a sheet of raw blood coating the hallway from ceiling to floor. As you may have guessed, these animals do not have very good table manners.  
  
Left alone in the death room, the girls sobbed, desperately trying to reach the entrance and get out. They crawled to the grate, and made their way back to the language arts room, now knowing the way, terrified but unaware of the massacre of the losers in the sixth grade hall... 


	6. It Felt Like Armageddon

It felt like Armageddon. There was no way out, they could not maintain order. They had been trying to reach the police since the crisis first reared its ugly head, but to no avail. The police would not answer their call. No one would answer their pleas for help, and for some reason the doors had been barred, and the windows covered from the outside. They could not escape, no one could rescue them. Well, of course they could, but the government of the United States had issued specific orders that the school could not be evacuated, and no actions could be taken to help, contact, or advise them on what to do. No one had the authority to stop them now, after all the school was a public, government funded facility, and those FBI agents clad in all black did have really big guns...  
  
The teachers were still debating in the language arts classroom. The science teacher was positive that the girls could handle it, but the history teacher was sure that they had been sent to their death. All tension between them was released, as the girls emerged from the ducts, seemingly unscathed. But you must remember, not all wounds are of the flesh...  
  
They were trembling uncontrollably. The math teacher, who was excellent at planning ahead, had brought blankets, food, and water from the teachers lounge and barricaded the door. The story was scattered due to their sobs and coughing, which was to be expected after seeing somebody there know completely dismembered... Even if they didn't like him, the whole scene was disturbing to say the least. Finally the tale came out, but the teachers looked puzzled. "What do you mean, she talked to them?" Questioned the science teacher. "She just... fainted, but she wasn't just unconscious, she was talking to them! It was like, a trance, and no matter what we did, she just wouldn't snap out of it." Explained the blonde leader, though she didn't know herself. Everyone turned to Calley, who had been sitting there, very quietly, as though she was hearing all this for the first time herself. "I, I... Remember fainting, and then... It was very cold. It felt kind of like, floating, or levitating I guess, and I knew I was doing it, but I couldn't control anything. I wasn't asleep though, I was... somewhere else." The others exchanged thoughtful glances. "What if... what if it was possible to harness that energy? What if you could control the communication, I mean, were you at all aware of what was being said?"  
  
Again, all eyes were on her. She looked a little startled at that comment, she hadn't really considered that yet. That few moments felt like centuries as she thought about it, judging their questioning looks. "Yes. I could feel it in the back of my mind. I asked them where they came from. They seemed surprised at me of course, but they said that they were running. I think something startled them, because then they told the newborns to follow... I don't know where."  
  
They thought about it for a long time, and finally the science teacher spoke. "At this point, I believe we have two choices. Die, or die fighting." He looked down, processing what he had just said. The silence became deafening. "Their best weapon is the fear of their prey. They can sense it. If we let them know our anxiety, they will feed on it. We must go back." Said the last person they expected, Calley. As terrifying as her out of body experience with the creatures had been, she had been too distant to fear for her life. Perhaps it was that yearning for release again, that wanting to be free of physical chains, maybe it was that need that drove her to finish the task. She would have regretted it in the end...  
  
Since there was no way out, what was the point of them surviving? If they could stop the monsters, then maybe they could save the outside world, but if they were going to be of any use to the others, they had to be prepared to die. Because of her secret reason to press on, her cool attitude towards her impending doom gave strength to the others. They made their way through the tubes, trying to go in the direction the beasts had headed. 


	7. Resistance Was Futile

Resistance was futile. The grandmother watched as the next litter emerged from the boy's mutilated bodies. One thing bothered her though, that girl had spoke. It spoke, and she had understood. It just wasn't possible for the primitive humans to understand them, was it? She pondered this as the first litter emerged from their first skins, becoming adults.  
  
They came to a grate just before the sixth grade hallway, and stopped dead in their crawl. There was shifting below them, and they knew it was time. Using one of the flashlights, the muscular one smashed it open, and they tumbled out onto the floor. The gruesome scene should have terrified them, but the adrenaline left them unfazed. No, it was not the number of carcasses, but now the number of hunters, or should I say, huntresses. Evidently, the mutation continued, and every single one of the critters was a girl, even the newborns. With the mobile queen, their reproduction was now even more effective, and they were almost unstoppable, for every human they slaughtered, another of them came to life...  
  
They backed up, trying their best to maintain control of their emotions. If they slipped, and showed even the slightest twinge of fear, it would cost them their lives. If one died, the feeding frenzy would end the others as well, so the stakes were critical now. Calley stepped forward, but this time instead of a trance, she remained very much alert, and began to speak...(for those who cannot visualize the dialect, it is just a bunch of different deep, throaty noises, and high screeches, etc. Animal sounds)  
  
"Fu verdou kiiy haiish wineh vols." "Kriash yoyh gerahed rahhii kenduan." "Rismarou keil heaack issdu kkuhn." "Haildeh reschak ywiiten." She turned back to the girls. "They say that we are all in danger. The large one from before told me that 'star men' were chasing her here to this planet. She says they were very pushy, and when they tried to force her to the 'bloody rock' she redirected their, her and her baby's, 'outside shell' to this place. I'm guessing that the government that is holding us hostage here was really trying to get them, harness them, by taking them to a base on mars perhaps?" "Yah right, we are billions of dollars in debt, and yet they pulled together some penny's from in between the couch cushions to build a base on mars!" screeched the dark haired one sarcastically. Calley turned back to the creatures and asked a bit more. "She says the base has been there for generations. I sense a conspiracy." "Well I'll say, so what the hell are we supposed to do now!" retorted the brunette. "I have asked her, and she says they are massing a colony, she likes this place, there is lots of food." "They don't consider us food, do they?" said the gymnast, and it was the blunt question running through everyone's minds at that very moment, the one who's answer was just about to get them in deep trouble... "No. She likes us. She wants us to be a part of her clan." They were speechless as they looked at the monsters, which were not ten feet away. "Don't be afraid, they will not harm us. I have felt it; they are all girls as well. Its an Amazon society." For some odd reason that comforted them, and the deadly panic ebbed away. "So, what can we do for them?" Said the leader after the silence. Calley negotiated, and came out with this, "They don't really want to be here, but they need water to build their 'shells' to leave the atmosphere. A lot of water..." "The Pool!" All exclaimed at once, and Calley conveyed the message. The creatures debated, and finally agreed.  
  
The adults approached the girls, who were feeling panic, but as the beasts carefully scooped them up onto their shoulders, they felt somewhat at ease, riding the hideous creatures down the corridor. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, maybe the impending doom, maybe even empowerment of their new alliance, but the girls felt comfortable around them. They had a common purpose and peace agreements, what more could you ask for? Things were just all right, until they approached the gym...  
  
The counselors and principal were in tears. With the government outside, and the children inside, they were being crushed. There were no plans or protocol for this type of situation. Everything was a mess, and the funny thing was, nobody knew what they were supposed to be so afraid of. The Asians were quieter, but the Americans, who were so used to freedom, now locked in the gym they were helpless. Things could be worse, the danger just might show up...  
  
The creatures came upon the natatorium, and were greeted with the screams of helpless children. They stiffened, but the leader ripped open the doors and pressed them on. Some carrying girls, others the babies, they filed into the poolroom, but one strayed. She turned left, and started heading for the gym. The brunette squealed in her arms, pleading for her to stop, knowing the consequence of the creature being unleashed unto the defenseless student body. She screamed herself hysterical, but then something happened that no one expected. She screamed, but it wasn't English... or any human tongue. She started speaking beast, not purposely at first, but when she realized the effect it had on her carrier, she continued to coax it back to the pool. So now there were two with the speech... 


	8. That Was Too Close

That was too close. As they entered the pool area, a huge wave of relief ebbed through them. None of the beasts had been distracted by the noise in the gym, so the others were safe for now. The creatures now knelt before the aquamarine water, exchanging glances and mumbles. They began testing it, pawing it, tasting it, and then turned to the girls with nods of approval. "Lakradd lakradd yahiu kekraaf deaar." "She says that this will do nicely, and she will stay behind to build the escape pod. She wants us... to attack." The silence echoed off the chlorine water, rippling through the humidity. "Wh...What do you mean, attack?" "Attack the gym. They want to attack the gym, and get enough energy to make the journey." "Journey to where?" "Mhyahe shtai ang tsubakeh teane." "She says they plan to flee to the colony on the 'largest sphere'. I think there are more of them... A lot more of them... On Jupiter." "So, we are going to go slaughter our classmates to feed these...monsters... so they can 'ET phone home' back to Jupiter?" "That made no sense Kate, first of all, second of all I don't think it would be so bad." Retorted the leader, taking charge. "What do you mean, not bad, you want to see them die?" "Not all of them, just, just some of them." The others recoiled, shocked, though it was the same thought whirling about in all of their heads. "Who did you have in mind?" "The ones that don't matter, the ones who wouldn't be missed. Look, they already killed off all of the annoying freaks, and frankly, it just isn't tearing me up. I think we could really do ourselves a favor here! The popular jerks, the crack heads, the flunkies, we could be rid of them for good! Look, I know it's inhumane, but it's either getting to choose, or letting the aliens decide!" "Aliens... That's what they are, aren't they... but why don't they just eat us?" "Do you really want me to ask?" "Yes! Yes I want to know if they are just toying with us, or if they really trust us! I would rather die now!" said the brunette in tears. "I will ask. But only if you promise to be on our side." Said Calley calmly. "OUR SIDE! How can you be on the SIDE of slimy, thorny, vicious beasts! You would feed your friends to them! How can you call yourself human!"  
  
"I never asked to be human! But I am, we are, and since I am here anyways, I might as well accomplish something in my life. So how do you know, they might be just as intelligent and feeling as us or more! Maybe it's us who are the inferior race; maybe mankind will die off in a few years anyways! All I know is, they are here NOW, the government is after them, and they need our help. If they wanted to kill us, they would have done it already. What if the government is the enemy, and they would kill all of us, they obviously consider us expendable while their target is here with us in the building, they have us surrounded and I bet they would shoot if we tried to get out. While the Aliens are here, we are all in danger, but ironically it's not from them! The FBI has left us here to die, so what are you gonna do about it?" "I would rather die fighting." The blonde said finally. "I will ask them what they want from us, you guys better be ready."  
  
The creatures had been watching them, fascinated, and when the longhaired one finally turned to them, the others hung back, apprehensive. "Garrs leacht siledsaag laihnk leaarft." "Du verrdo na veia. Gaaes triiste lefds iislig." She turned around, her face grave. "They say they have no intention of eating us, or using us as host. There are plenty of others for that they say, and we have the gift of speech. They need us, and the price for sparing us and protecting us from the government is...  
  
One of us must go with them to Jupiter."  
  
Pure silence. Crystal, deafening, unblemished silence. It continued all the way down the hall as they were carried in the arms of their Alien friends, though now a little more comfortable knowing they didn't have the intention to slaughter them. As the gym doors were pushed open, the combined screams of the inhabitants could have been heard around the world... 


	9. The Chaos Within

The chaos within, it was enough to rival the slaughter of the holocaust. Regardless of color, size, gender, the creatures mercilessly, hungrily, even gladly destroyed nearly a third of the population in the gym. The following is an account from each girl's perspective:  
  
Kate: As I was riding on the back of my creature, I got drenched by the blood of its victims. My jeans were soaked, my black shirt stained purple, and my face smeared with the carnage. I was hanging on for my life, as it whipped and plunged its massive tail into shrieking kid after kid. It was nauseating, and some of the earlier blood had begun to dry onto my skin. It was more than a little disgusting, having bits of your peers splattered onto your clothes, but at the same time I was grateful it wasn't me being mutilated. Despite their agreement to spare our lives, the bargain's price was making me uncomfortable. Who was it going to be? Did they expect us to chose, like send our best friend hurtling out into space? And what if it turned out like some freaky, sci-fi survivor movie, and they all turned against me? As the Alien started chewing on a particularly cruel, and scantily dressed girl, who just happened to be one of our group's enemies, I found myself smiling. I know how gross, and wrong, and inhumane our situation is, but I just cant help it. I hated her, and here I sat, watching her die. I knew I was doing it too, but my conscience just never stepped in, and I started to giggle. As we came up to a girl who was wearing a see-through shirt, a girl who was constantly whining about how fat she was, when in actuality she was becoming anorexic, I burst out laughing. I just couldn't control it! It felt so good to have the weight of their disapproval off of my shoulders, I don't know why; it just made me feel good to see them suffer, for all they had put me through.  
  
Cate: My pulse was shooting out of my wrists, and I could feel the creature getting excited underneath me. It was like slow motion as we stepped into the crowded gym, and all of the kid's eyes got huge all at once, and in one breath the entire room erupted in screams of horror. I must admit, I was looking forward to seeing some people ripped apart, but I ended up getting a good deal of bonus death. All the people I hated, and then some, all the people I didn't care for, and more. People I recognized, but for some reason didn't pity. I know it seems a bit self-centered, but I was enjoying myself, sitting on top of this killing machine. You have to respect its awesome instincts, and its raw muscle power. I wonder what they do to work out; it's too bad they don't have programs like that on earth. I have been thinking about what Calley meant when she said that they wanted one of us to join them on Jupiter. All the times my parents screamed at me, all the afterthoughts about running away, just getting away from the torture of life. I really, honestly, deeply wanted to just leave sometimes, and I was now truly considering volunteering to go. Once all of this blows over, I know it would never be the same anyway, and if a situation can get worse it most likely will. I don't ever want to go home, not after I have been offered an escape. I know I was only planning on leaving the city, maybe the state, but I would never live with myself if I declined the chance to leave the planet, and be literally billions of miles away from my terrible family.  
  
Ray: Out of all of the times in my entire life that I have been afraid, this is a thousand times worse than all of them combined. Its like one of Cate's horror movies, right before my eyes. I try to close them, but the Alien is moving too fast, and they keep getting flipped open. I want to jam them shut, but for some reason I cannot. I see them dieing by the dozens, piling up on each other. Its like old pictures of the bodies left outside the gas chambers at Bergen Belson. It's disgusting, and I just want it all to go away, but when I looked over at the counselor being ripped to shreds, I just didn't want to look away. All the times she gave me trouble over my locker, my schedule, whenever our group got blamed for something we didn't do. I remember the boy above the stairwell, and how much I hated him, and then to see his body torn apart... Knowing that he was gone forever, and would never bother us, ever again. It made me feel good, made me feel safe, having him dead and out of my mind. I know how wrong it is to think that way about a human life, but some people deserve to die.  
  
Calley: Its just business. This was the deal, and though it seems cruel, we were doing them all a favor. If it wasn't by Aliens, it would have been by the government. Better die in ignorant bliss, innocent and victimized. Better they not know the true terror just outside those barred doors. Better they die with friends, die together than wither away alone in old age without Medicare. Its all such a cynical conspiracy, and so sad that such perverts achieved so much power over us. This is my way of fighting back, and I just don't care what people think about me for it. I'm not here to be liked; I don't understand why everyone else seems to be. I watch as they are struck down with a vicious whip of the sharp Alien tails, how they use their second jaws to snap off their pretty little heads. I love their equality, killing anyone that gets in their way, no judgment, just survival of the fittest. That's the way nature intended it to be, that's the way humanity should have remained. Humans will die, but the earth lives on, and they are destroying it. I often wonder where I have been in past lives, and I now wonder if maybe, I took on an Alien form. Nevertheless, the massacre around me keeps me alert. Adrenaline is a fantastic thing; I could be shot three times and not notice I am so pumped up. I almost want to get in on this action; this killing spree of theirs is making me so excited. I have always wanted to hunt, to kill, to prove my worth as a survivor, a fit being, not the intellectual, useless moron all of these people try to be, and fail miserably. They are just so useless sometimes, and I think it's not the worst thing to happen to the world that they are being tested.  
  
Rey: I am one of the last in line to enter the gym. By the time I get in, the room is in utter chaos. Kids are scrambling everywhere, begging for mercy, screaming, crying, praying, and acting like such babies. I know its just part of the deal, though I'm still not sure why we have to watch. When my Alien takes a sharp turn and sinks its powerful claws right through a very stupid boy, who just happens to annoy me in all of my classes, I begin to understand. They are either trying to teach us their culture, gain our trust, get enough food to last a decade, or a gory combination of those. I see a couple of my friends get gobbled up, and then out of the corner of my eye, I see Cate's boyfriend get nailed. I wonder if she even noticed, probably not. Too late now, he's been buried under the mounds of corpses. Its like a vampires heaven in here, there's like a four inch layer of blood forming on the gym floor. Its kind of funny to see the idiots squirm like that. Maybe I should go gothic, pretend like this whole incident has driven me deep into depression. Might snag me a good excuse for a few extra movies and sleepovers to keep me socially active. I like the way the Alien moves underneath me. It's so agile, so quick, and its motions are so smooth. I bet they would be great gymnasts... 


	10. The Sinister Deed Was Nearly Complete

The sinister deed was nearly complete. Over half of the gyms students were now slaughtered, and the remainders were in small pockets all around the school. Open battle was fun, straight up killing spree was nice and all, but Aliens were at their peak when it came to guerilla warfare.  
  
The confusion made the perfect camouflage; the screams completely masked their body movements as they stalked the halls, pursuing the runners. The girls called out to each other as their mounts went down separate hallways, but their friendly shouts were drowned in the sea of chaos. The individual accounts continue:  
  
Ray: I guess I got lucky. No one I know is in the group we are currently stalking. Its really sad for them, we have a perfect view of them, and they have absolutely no clue how close we are. All of the sudden my Alien stops moving, and turns its head to the side to look at me. I listen closely as it whispers, and it tells me it wants my help. I simply nod, and it quietly lets me off its back. It kneels next to me, and tells me to 'soothe the children', so I'm guessing it wants me to lure them in. I really don't want to be involved, but if I don't do something, it might change its mind and eat me instead. I slowly round the corner, and approach the hysterical sixth graders. I notice that they are wearing clothes from the Limited Too, which can only mean one thing... These are little psychos who think they are all that. I cannot stand sixth graders who are full of themselves. I shouldn't be judgmental, but it really looks like they consider themselves to be popular... Whatever, here goes.  
"Hey, are you guys alright?" "Alright?! Did you see the size of those monsters?" said an ugly boy. "Well, come on, we should get out of here." "Who the hell are you anyway? First of all, the doors are sealed, second, why would we trust you?" piped a hyper little girl. "Look, we all just wanna get out in one piece, its not like I'm going to lead you to one of them." Ray lied innocently. It was she or they after all. The followed her suspiciously, but loosened up a little. Too bad for them, when they rounded that corner... They ran smack dab into one of the cute little Aliens, with Ray standing off to one side, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
Cate: I tried to wave to Ray, but she pulled away too quick. It seems like my friends are really getting into this, and I suspect that was the Aliens intention. You know, it's not so bad. People may be dieing all around us, and there may be no hope for the civilized world after this, but I feel like we are doing the right thing. If we didn't help the Aliens, the FBI would capture them, so really we would have been helping the government, who would most likely screw up our lives either way. This is the way it is, this is the way it must be. You know, its really funny, my family is Christian, and did everything in their power to drag me in, but its so sad watching them believe in nothing. God never said anything about Aliens, and yet here they are, a hell of a lot better off then we are, and it doesn't seem like they believe in anything. Did the Romans really do the right thing, by converting all of Europe and beyond, condemning us to this fate? Awfully cruel of them, now that I look back, and awfully cruel for the world when they find out how the Christian government, the bringers of God's justice, failed us all. We put so much trust and money into it, the sacred 'freedom' of the United States, and a lot of good that did us. They have forsaken us, used us, and are now hunting us down, killing innocent children, all for their own perversion.  
I'm into the hunt now, its kill or be killed. I have gotten off the creature, and though before I was almost jealous of the girls who could talk, this silence is much better. Who needs words, its intentions are clear, planning or scheming would be such a waste of valuable killing time. No system, no pattern, just cut down whoever is in the way. We came up upon a group of Chinese seventh graders, you know, the kind you find in eight grade math classes, thinking they are so much smarter than the rest of us. Well, it's a damn shame now, all that brilliance down the drain. I'm not complaining. Its getting interesting now, and I've actually started to help. What the hell are they gonna care, they are just about to die anyways, why not help it along? I walk right up to the trembling kids, smiling, looking safe, and then grab one by the elbow and fling him out across the floor, right into the Alien's eager jaws. The kids shrieked, and glared at me in horror, but I just kept coming. I know karma will get me in the end, but is this really wrong? In the bible, it commands that you cannot kill another person, but wouldn't that outlaw survival? What the hell kind of words of wisdom are those! This is why I refuse to live under their ignorance.  
  
Rey: Game on. I haven't had this much fun for a while. I'm running around on my own, my Alien disappeared a ways back, but I know its following close. It needs me to lead, I know it, and it wants my help. Its almost like we are playing a game of hide and seek as we trap group after group of unsuspecting kids. They hide in the halls, the classrooms, so predictable. I found my monster again, and as a herd approaches, it flips me up onto its back, makes sure I'm holding on, and shimmies up the wall onto the ceiling. They pass right underneath, and I'm having a hard time keeping my grip. I'm flexible enough; I decide to take the first move by flipping onto one of the taller boys, crushing him on the ground. His little harem looked about ready to tackle me, when a little gasp from the girl in the back turns everybody around. My Alien speared her, and then just spazzed out on the closer ones. You have to appreciate their emotionless battle technique; it's a beautiful thing to watch. The others tried to push past me, but I tripped them. We make a great team.  
  
Kate: We are the last ones in the gym; I think my ride got hurt. I get off, squishing into the layer of bloody corpses, and reach out for its arm. It looks at me strangely, and I back up, but slip into the mountain of blood. I land next to Cate's boyfriend, and I wonder if she knows. My partner pulls me up, and I can see that it's straining. I think it pulled a shoulder muscle, I know Rachel would know more about it, but I decide that heading for the bathroom for some water to wash up would be the best course. The others can eliminate the remaining kids. I hold its claw, and walk towards the nearest men's room, hell, who's gonna scold me now? As we walk in I see a little group of boys shivering in the corner, and they get really panicked as we go over to the sink. I turn on the cool water, and splash some on my face. I take off my shirt and rinse it out, even though the boys are staring, they are about to die anyways, who cares. I put my damp shirt back on, and wet down my hair, and look over to my Alien friend. It's looking tired, so I splash some water on its shoulder, where I think its hurt, and it makes a happy noise. It comes over to the sink with me, and I continue to throw water onto its hard, shiny skin. The droplets roll down, leaving streaks and rainbows all over it. As I admire its coat, I can feel the boy's eyes on me still, so I walk over to them. "Is there a problem boys?" "N...no, wh..what the heck is that monster...a.and why isn't it attacking y..you?" "Good question little boy, why don't we ask her." Kate said coyly, turning to the beast, which as if understanding, stretched up to its full terror. Kate backed up so that the blood sprays wouldn't get her messy again. They exited the bathroom together, smiling as though nothing had happened.  
  
Calley: I could get used to this. It now comes to my turn, finally a chance to vent these hormones. My body has become so stimulated with all the bloodshed and excitement, I need to let it out, and my partner knows it. I'm still riding, though I spot Ray walking, and I can tell its about to pounce. I hold on tight, and it lunges into the air, landing with a crunch on a defenseless seventh grader. I should have braced tighter, I was knocked off and sent rolling across the floor, but no harm done. I can feel my body snap upright in response, and I get the thought that maybe, just maybe, I'm losing control. My muscles are beginning to act on their own, out of instinct, and I like it. Emotion is gone, and I'm becoming a killing machine, just like them, as I tackle a kid to the ground, breaking his leg. I stand up slowly, surveying the scene. As I scan the hall, one guy catches my attention. Its Kate's neighbor, and he see me. His eyes are a whirlwind of shame, betrayal, and pleading. If he is going to survive, I have to step in, and I know that. The outside doors are locked, the Aliens are closing in, and I'm standing here, fighting my own conscience. I grab his wrist, and jerk him behind me, pushing him to the courtyard door, hoping my beast doesn't see. It's preoccupied, and he slips unnoticed into the courtyard. I spot one of his friends, and for some reason, I pity him too. I motion him to me, but he is too slow. He gets knocked over by another boy, and I am forced to intervene. I scoop him up from under the large kid, and push him to the door, dodging an Alien jump as I do. He makes it out safely, and they hide in the trees. I motion them to a pile of leaves, and it seems like they make it in safely.  
Shortly after, as I'm battling alongside the Aliens, I wonder why the hell I saved them. Why should I pity them over the others? I know it was wrong, but a few kids would survive, might as well be them. I stand in the main lobby, as the fight dies down, and cant help but feel I've forgotten something...  
The Teachers. 


	11. Evil Comes in Many Forms

Evil comes in many forms. The science teacher knew this was not one of them. As they sat in that classroom, waiting for death, he decided to bring that fact up in a discussion, the one thing he forgot, everybody was at the pinnacle of fear, not the best choice for a mild chat. It turned into a raging argument, and it didn't seem like any good was to come out of it, until...  
  
"So, if they aren't evil, what the hell are they? We haven't even seen one yet, but look at their effect on those poor girls! Why did we send them out to their death!" "They would have died here anyway! Listen, those girls are our only hope for protecting the world outside. We cannot let the FBI get a sample, you know that better than any of us! Do you know what President Bush could do with it? He could breed an army of unstoppable, unfeeling, bloodthirsty monsters and unleash them onto the world! Look what he did with only soldiers! If he were to have a mass of those ultimate fighting machines, and march them into war, he could rip a country apart, but they wouldn't just attack the soldiers, oh no, their need to feed would drive them to the countries core, its people. They would kill everything, everyone, down to the last child. They have no emotions, there's no one to tell them no! And when the United Nations gets together to make him explain his intolerable actions, he's going to act like it was all news to him. Like he didn't know what was going to happen if he drove these animals to earth!" The history teacher sat back down. That message hit home, though it didn't answer the original question, in a way, it did. The creatures weren't evil, this cruelty was human.  
  
Calley raced up the stairs, shouting to her partner as she went. She told her to head for the pool, and that she would be right there, but it wouldn't stop. When they reached the top, it tried to scoop her up to take her along, and Calley understood. "She thinks I'm trying to sneak off. Well I am, so now what..." she thought. Calley took the beasts arm, telling it to come with her. When she wasn't looking, the creature playfully swung her onto its shoulders, and proceded to bolt down the hall. Calley gave in, and when they reached the teachers hideout, somehow it knew to stop. She got a little frightened, and asked if it was still hungry. She shook her head, but Calley still felt uneasy. She told her these people weren't to be attacked, and it understood. Carefully, Calley knocked on the door.  
  
The teachers snapped up at the sound from the door. They looked at each other, naturally quite tense. Their eyes filled with fear as the math teacher walked over to the door. "Who's there!" he demanded, trying to sound as strong as he could, but his voice was unsteady nonetheless. "Its Calley. Don't worry, we are all right. Could I come in, there's a few developments I think you need to hear." Quite relieved, he opened the door, and was greeted by the calm girl, and her Alien friend...  
  
He fell back into the classroom, and everybody got scared, but Calley explained there was nothing to fear. They still didn't calm down, so she started to tell the story anyway. They finally quieted down to listen, and eventually grew accustomed to the animals presence in their sanctuary, though it was rather disturbing to have a homicidal maniac hanging around...  
  
She told them as quickly as she could, fearing that with every passing moment things were becoming more and more dangerous with the Alien around. "So, I need you guys to stay safe, no matter what, we are leaving now, but you have to survive. Don't let the government know where we went, it would only waste tax dollars for them to go on a suicide mission to find us. I need you to slowly let the truth come out, not about the creatures themselves, but you have to warn the people about the government betrayal. This can never, ever happen again, no matter what either the president shapes up, or backs down. I would prefer we start from scratch, this whole democracy concept was a load of crap. A bunch of slave owning, rich, Christian white guys planned out this system, and funny, that's becoming more and more of a minority in the American melting pot, so why the hell did it get this far? You need to make it clear that they are no longer the people, therefore they should not be single handedly running the democracy, duh. Make this travesty known, don't let it get lost in the pages of history like the other incidents, don't let it get covered up."  
  
With that she left, relieved that the Alien had not tried anything. They made their way back downstairs, noticing the eerie quiet that had settled over the school. No more screams, no more eating sounds, no more scurrying, running, crashing, crunching, breaking or bashing. The school was empty, very few remained alive after the hunt, and as they made their way past the mounds of carnage, and as the adrenaline flow stopped, the magnitude of the situation was becoming more and more obvious.  
  
In the hideout, the teachers were letting Calley's speech sink in. Everyone was brought back to attention when the shrill sound of the history teachers cell phone cried out from her purse. She ran over and as she pushed the talk button, everyone watched intently. She was shaking all over with anticipation, and was not to be let down. The caller was none other than the governor of Michigan, with whom she had many ties. Her voice became excited, and her face was gaining hope, and as they listened in they all could feel the air of opportunity. "Yes ma'am, this building is surrounded by FBI agents, and lord knows who else. They have covered all of the windows and doors, so we cannot see outside, yes as far as we know most of the students were killed, yes we are barricaded in the English teachers classroom, no, I don't know what the girls have planned." It went on like that, with the teachers inching in around her, listening with pleading ears, waiting for a ray of light in this hysteria. As she pressed the off button, the all backed up and pretended like they weren't listening in, and she turned to them with a smile on her face. "I think God has heard our prayers at long last! The governor is gathering the Michigan police force, the fire fighters, everyone in power is coming to this spot to rescue us! The press is getting involved, since the FBI wont let them in, this new opportunity is bringing the community together to help." At long last, there was a chance for survival.  
  
In the pool room, the Aliens were preparing to do something that had never been attempted before by their race, mixing with humans. Sure, they took on human hosts to produce young, but this process was completely different. The girls had been sitting quietly on the bleachers, each thinking about their own reasons to leave, each wondering who was to be chosen. It was a very uncomfortable moment, to tell you the truth. The queen had finished making the chlorine shells, which were like thick, jello membranes, almost like fish eggs, only aqua colored. There was a pouch at the bottom, evidently containing two separated chemicals, that would combine to create lift. The queen approached them. "Siske heerui gangabuya mifwyi eh." They all looked at each other, then realizing what had happened, looked back to each other in confusion. "Did you just, understand?" Ray asked the group. Everyone nodded. Evidently, during the hunt, they all had formed a psychic bond with the creatures, and all of them now possessed the speech.  
  
"So, like she said, which is it going to be?" They fell silent. "I think, I know. Yeeusur mifwyi eh jinjiner jectabire lungeivate." Calley said softly. They all looked at the queen, awaiting response. "Wisreitu fliesh congabuyai bifwyi." As they heard this, their faces lit up. There were enough chlorine pods for all of them to fly to Jupiter. But, there was a morphing process that had to take place first, so that their skin would be tough enough to withstand the pressures of space, though protected by the film, once on Jupiter, they would not last. Though Alien blood is highly toxic and corrosive, they possess a gland on the side of their head, what would be our cheek, that circulates the alien hormones. The girls weren't sure exactly what was about to happen, but their excitement helped to dull the pain when their Alien partners put a small slit in their hands using their sharp claws. As the blood started to flow to the cut, the Aliens took a claw to their cheek, opening their hormone sacs. They brought the girls hands up to their cheek, and it would have looked cute if saw just that interaction, but as the hormone mingled with the blood of the girls, a change began to take place in their bodies...  
  
The governor was approaching the incident site, armed with all the police in Michigan. She had a plan to surround the FBI, and force their way into the school to search for survivors. The whole concept of the Alien creatures had not fully sunk in, but it was probably for the better. They arrived in the area at about the same time the girls were transforming...  
  
They were in pain, but it was bittersweet. The hormone raged in their blood, sending wave after wave of microscopic messages, DNA modifications, and physical alteration through their already unsteady teenage framework. The first major change was the hair and nails. The hair became straight and cold, and took on an almost silvery coat. Their nails turned black, like the Aliens hard skin, but the shape remained otherwise normal. The normal growth of their bones and muscles was sped up substancially, and they grew nearly a foot each. The muscles went hard, the skin went tough, and the natural oils were replaced with Alien sweat, which at first might seem like a bad thing, but nearly all of the body hair was burned off and replaced with the smooth, hard, silicon skin. It didn't turn black like the Aliens, but it was obviously darker. Their features got sharper, which made them look kind of scary, but in a cute way. It hurt, but it was more of a burny, tingly feeling than a muscle tearing, bone crunching kind of pain. Those changes had finally subsided, and the queen thought it was over, until something unusual happened. The skin on their back, right on the shoulderblades, parted to reveal bone starting to poke through. Bone with muscle wrapped firmly around was sprouting from their backs, and as it came about four inches out of them, in contact with the air, it became encased in a silvery shell. It continued to stretch out behind them, and the silvery looking silicon spread out from the bone, eventually forming a pair of bat-like wings. The wounds continued to bleed a bit, and the new growth itched, so they walked over to dunk their wings into the inviting pool water. It was now a lot clearer in color, since most of the chlorine was used up, so it was virtually colorless as they dove in.  
  
It was cool as they slid effortlessly through, gliding like fish in an endless ocean. Unfortunately, the pool was not endless, and they kept bumping into each other and the walls as they swam. They tested out their new wings, beating them, pulling them in and out, using them like paddles through the water. Feeling refreshed, they stepped out, none of them noticing that they had been swimming nearly four minutes, with none of them surfacing to breathe. When they stepped out onto the deck, they did notice that they were nearly dry, all the water had ran straight through their slick hair, and off of their now slippery skin. Instantly dry, they watched as the Aliens hauled the chlorine casings up through a hole they had beaten through the ceiling. The girls were scooped up in the careful arms of their Alien friends, who now were more like Alien sisters, and were carried up through the hole onto the roof.  
  
The FBI squad had held their ground for a long time, but the governor's will was just as strong. She used the police force to herd them into a tight bundle of black suits. The agents were getting ready to fire upon them, having direct orders from the President to guard this building at all costs. The governor knew it would be tricky, so she brought along some special help. The doctors of Michigan are hard working, and don't appreciate important medical research being cut out of the budget because the President worked up high deficits with risky space missions, so they gladly volunteered. Vets armed with tranquelizer guns positioned themselves around the agents, awaiting the signal. Nurses with sedatives were also at the ready, and psychiatrists as well. All at once the signal was given, and after a tense struggle, the FBI was sound asleep, and the doctors escaped with mild injury. The leader of the group was captured for questioning, but he took a cyanide before the governor could get any answers. So it goes.  
  
The police rushed into the school, but was stopped sick with the gruesome carnage in the front lobby. They slowly, systematically searched the corridors for survivors, but discovered only a few. The governor herself ran up to the teachers hideout, and upon arrival was greeted with grateful arms. They brave team of educators was hastily evacuated. The seventh graders Calley had protected were found in the courtyard under a pile of leaves, scared out of their wits. The psychiatrists went immediately to work on calming the survivors, but it was difficult work. Crews were called in to start identifying, cleaning, and cremating the piles of bodies strewn throughout the hallways.  
  
However, the governor was not the only executive force acting on the situation. The president of the United States would not allow his important warfare research to be spoiled. He had reached the city limits at the time the governor had broke into the school, and was now pulling into the parking lot, to see the whole place in shambles, and his beautiful killing machines up on the roof. At first he was smiling, but as five girls with monster wings appeared, along with several, gooey green blobs, he came to realize that something had gone terribly awry...  
  
The creatures began to carefully climb into the sacs, the queens going first. She had instructed the girls to step on the chemical bags at the bottom when the signal was given, though none of them believed that that tiny bit of substance could propel them through the atmosphere, and that the outer shell that was designed to protect them from the vacuum of space would make it out that far. The Aliens helped them in, and sealed the pods up tight. "Wait, how do we breathe?" The Aliens looked puzzled, then explained that their mutation has changed their lung structure, and that they no longer depend on oxygen to fuel their blood. Being partly human still, they need some oxygen, but not nearly as much. They now took in nitrogen, which lasted much longer. The girls hadn't noticed that their breathing had slowed, even with the exercise. All of the Aliens were now ready, and the signal was given. The girls did as they were told, stomping hard upon the chemical chambers, breaking the separator, and the combination sent them hurtling into the air with incredible speed. It reminded them a lot of their field trip to Space Camp, when they went on the G-Force simulator, and the Space Shot ride. The pressure was crushing them into the back of the shell, but it was firm against their weight. Cate even snuck a glance backward through the guard, down at the Aliens flying below, and at several human figures emerging on the roof. Apparently something was pissing them off, because they were making angry gestures and turning bright red. She could have sworn that especially angry one looked familiar... 


	12. The Wheel of Stars

The wheel of stars, how it always leads us home eventually. Karma is ever present; our past actions will be there to catch up to us, for better or worse. As humans we have been bound to this fate, some try to cope by calling it 'original sin'. We weren't born with it, no matter what anyone says it is important to understand that this punishment was earned long ago, not by some guy named Adam, not by his servant named Eve, but by our own soul, but we like to make up stories to place the blame on somebody else. Funny how we tend to stray from responsibility, always dropping into somebody else's hands, throwing reason to the wind. Eternity is an awful long time; I just don't understand why so many people make it their life's mission to screw it up.  
  
Here at the end, or so you would think, nearly everyone has done everything in their power to shove the blame into someone else's lap, all except five young ladies, who unknowingly made all the right moves, did all the right things, and gave those cynical politicians the ride of their lives. But nothing is ever truly over.  
  
As they blasted out of the atmosphere, and looked back at the earth, to which each knew they could never return, a blanket of peace settled over them. Who cared what Jupiter was like, what dangers would come, as long as they were free? A long time ago, a group of old, Christian white guys got together, united for this same cause, freedom, and a hell of good that did the world. Those men caused more grief than any other empire the world ever would face could ever imagine, these men single handedly laid the true foundations for the end of the world. Hope they are happy now.  
  
As body bag after body bag passed through the school entrance, the American History teacher felt her heart grow heavier and heavier. So much death, and she knew it would happen, she knew some travesty was soon to occur, history is bound to repeat itself, many times if its people cannot look back, and prevent the mistakes. She couldn't help but think that somebody had yet to reveal themselves, today wasn't quite over yet. Her intuition was dangerously correct, as a certain Mr. President drove up with his fancy secret service, and shoved his way into the building...  
  
She followed him, going the other way, scrambling undetected onto the roof behind him and his posse. She was coming up behind one of the men in black, but another spotted her, and shot. It was not the teacher, however, who was struck, and it went past her to the right, straight through the agent she was sneaking up on. The man, forsaken by one of his most trusted colleagues, did the only thing he could think of in his anger, and shot him back. However, this bullet also did not reach its intended target, for the other man realizing his cock-up dove out of the way as the fire was returned. The shot also hit the person to the right, who just happened to be the president himself. He stumbled, turning to face his attacker, seeing his shocked protection squad, and a stunned woman, before he fell backwards off of the building, and landed head first on the ground. Shot down by his own guardian.  
  
The school eventually returned to normal, and resumed classes the next year. The survivors of the crisis had to undergo extreme therapy, and many committed suicide through grief. The fallen teachers were replaced, and the others happily returned to work, all except...  
  
The American History teacher ran for president, with the English teacher as her vice, she took the 2004 election by storm. She was on an independent party, and used her money wisely, so she didn't waste it in useless advertisement like the other candidates insisted on doing. She spoke the truth, which was something the American citizens desperately needed to hear. The 2005 mandatory draft was averted, and with the new cabinet the country began to gain strength. Funding was put to better use, and in the years following, one of her funded projects discovered a new, safer, cheaper, and by far more effective type of cancer therapy than had ever been thought possible, and soon everyone around the country was becoming healthier. The national deficit was slowly shrinking, and the banking system had gained a lot of power since she had the fraud company Rock Financial closed down when they were caught with insider info, and she put all of the invested money into the bond and stock market, further decreasing the debt. Osama bin Laden was found dead in a cave, and the world rejoiced at his passing. With the 'Axis of Terror' mostly dissolved, efforts were further focused on the home turf, and the crime rate was exponentially decreased. The water crisis was averted, by an ingenious new system devised by Calley's younger sister, who had taken up a career in Marine Biology, and had come across the filter system when studying mollusks.  
  
As the blue world below them began to turn around, things on Jupiter were also improving. The old system of taking on hosts to reproduce was replaced, when during an experiment the new queen gained the ability to have live young, and when her fertility ran out, and a new queen was born, a set of young drones was there to keep the cycle going. With a balanced society of females and males, the shape and behavior of the Aliens was changing rapidly. Each passing generation was becoming more and more humanoid, due to the original exchange between the girls and their partners, who have now long been deceased, so it goes. They became more civilized, devised a new set of languages, writing system, and good exchange all centered around their devotion to the 'Moon Goddesses'.  
  
The girls had settled down to watch the species evolve, finding it best not to intervene. Each claimed a set of moons to reside over, and were worshipped by the Alien clans that existed beneath them on the churning planet. Their palaces, built by the loving Alien followers with crystal, and ice, and shimmering rock, mounted the heavens, their gleaming spires kissing the stars. It was a lonely existence, but somehow it was better this way. They flew to each other often, visiting, chatting, watching the primitive world develop.  
  
Ray took residence on Europa, guarding also Leda, Elara, Ananke, Thebe, and Adraesta. Rey lived on Io, watching over Carme, Pasiphae, Callirhoe, Aitne, and Taygete. Cate took only a few, the larger Ganymede, Isonoe, Sponde, and Chaldene. Kate had Chaldene, Pasithee, Thyone, Euanthe, Harpalyke, and Praxidike. Calley however, was the most devoted to her moons, indulging in their peace and solitude, and did not visit as often as the others, making her home on Callisto, of course, and Amalthea, Erinome, Kalyke, Eurydome, Megaclite, and Kale. They lived as queens, watching the ever-turning wheel of stars. Fin. 


End file.
